Quiet Before the Storm

After another sunny morning, things got cloudy in Budapest by afternoon (Oct. 22nd). Roads were being closed to prevent demonstrators from 'spilling' into official function locations. PM Gyurcsany was to give a speech at the Opera House and as a result Andrassy was closed from the Oktogon to the next largest street (Bajczy-Zsilinszky), the section including the Opera. People who lived in the area had to be collected at crossing points and escorted to their homes by police.

The picture above is the approach from the Korut to the corner of the Oktogon where Andrassy crosses. Smell of rain in the air and a sense of unusual calm.



Here is around the corner of Andrassy at the Oktogon. Yes, there is another flower vendor and look, Burger King. If you don't tell anyone, I'll admit that occasionally I simply MUST have a Whopper.


View from Andrassy looking toward City Park. Although it is not entirely clear on the photo, the new Siemens trams are just passing each other in the middle of the road.

The closed off section of Andrassy, the beautiful boulevard, that runs between the Oktogon and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky the Opera a couple of blocks up on the right.

By 8 p.m. there were special bulletins of police disbursing crowds with tear gas, some trash cans set on fire but I've no pictures of that as I opted to stay in. I did put my shoes on but decided against going out. Instead stood on the balcony in the rain (by then) looking towards the Oktogon which was sealed off on all sides. Suppose it was to prevent marchers to collectively go to the House of Terror museum on Andrassy below the Oktogon.

As the rain persists today and more demonstrations are expected, call me a coward, but it seems a perfect day to stay inside.